


Finally Home

by onlyhereforellick



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Sequel to Come Back
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-25 13:42:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22177009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyhereforellick/pseuds/onlyhereforellick
Summary: Nick’s soft laugh was music to her ears—she was finally home.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 4
Kudos: 66





	Finally Home

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to Come Back, read that first or this will literally not make sense since it picks up right where it left off lol

Ellie hadn’t slept a wink. Every rise and fall of Nick’s chest, every shift to his hips, every tightening of his arm around her middle. She felt everything. And frankly, she was okay with it. The benefit to not sleeping was her ability to overanalyze Nick’s words shortly before he conked out.

_I want you. Stay here._

Yet even with theorizing all night, Ellie was still nowhere come morning. Nick groaned and rolled to his other side causing Ellie to scamper to the far edge of her bed. She still wasn’t sure where they stood, and she had a feeling sober Nick was not going to remember his words and actions from last night.

A louder groan sounded from the other side of the mattress as he raised a hand to his temple, “Oh, fuck me.”

Ellie couldn’t resist having a little fun with him though. “Well you asked, but I didn’t want to take advantage of you,” she replied coyly from her spot.

Nick whipped his head around eliciting another groan before exclaiming, “Ellie?? What are you doing here?”

A chuckle bubbled up at the realization Nick had no clue he stayed the night at her place, in her bed, wrapped around her. Deep down she didn’t feel much like laughing, but at this point it was her best defense mechanism.

When she didn’t respond, Nick started to glance around and slowly understanding washed over his face, morphing his facial features from shock to confusion. “Wh- what am I doing at _your_ place?”

“Well it was either that or slumped over on a bar counter, and I figured you already had enough back problems.” Ellie retorted.

Nick’s eyes snapped to hers at the offhanded comment. “How did you know I was at a bar?”

Ellie sighed and rolled her eyes, _so this is how this was going to go._ “Because the bartender called me with _your_ phone to pick your drunk ass up.” Ellie was done with sugarcoating it. If she was going to get to the bottom of Nick’s earlier words, she needed to be blunt.

Nick’s mouth set into a hard line as he soaked up that piece of information. Without another word, he rolled and lifted himself off the bed. Shuffling to find his boots she’d placed by her chair, he looked unsteady...and pissed.

Ellie jumped off the bed, frustration evident in her voice, “What you’re just going to leave? Seriously, Nick?”

He twisted around faster than she expected him to. “Don’t _seriously_ me, Bishop.”

“Oh we’re still on Bishop, are we? No longer first name basis?” As much as she tried to tamp down the anger threatening to rise to the surface, she couldn’t. This man was infuriating. Ziva shows up and he becomes distant. Then he goes and tells her he wants her— _drunken words are sober thoughts, right?_ And now he’s practically running out the door at the mention of his drinking.

Nick seethed, opening his mouth once and with a curt shake to his head, decided against whatever he was going to say. Instead in a low, emotionless tone he pushed out, “Thanks for letting me stay. I’ll see you Monday.” And with that, he turned to stalk out her bedroom door.

For a brief minute she was frozen, shocked he actually walked out. That they somehow went from cuddling all night to being practically frigid towards one another. By the time her feet managed to unglue themselves from their spot, Nick was gone.

Ellie pondered her two options—stay here and stew, letting the anger and bitterness continue to fester; or listen to her own promise from last night, and give him a reason to stay.

Grabbing her coat from the hook and pulling on shoes haphazardly, she ran out the door to her truck. Speeding to Nick’s apartment, she didn’t bother knocking when she reached the door. Using her spare key, she threw open the door and yelled out to him. When she didn’t get a response, she paused and listened closer. Hearing the hum of a shower coming from the back of the apartment, a smile slowly formed on her face. _He couldn’t escape._

Tiptoeing into the bathroom was easy after she shed herself of her jacket and shoes. A glance down told her she once again forgot to put real clothes on as she took in her sheer pajama set. With a shrug, she pressed on.

Leaning against the bathroom counter she made her presence known, “I know it’s because of me.”

A shout and loud crash similar to a shampoo bottle dropping proceeded her statement. Nick’s head appeared around the edge of the shower curtain in an instant, surprise marring his face. “What the hell, Bishop!”

She repeated herself, arms crossed along her chest, “I know it’s because of me.”

“What- what is because of you? What are you so damn sure of that you needed to give me _a freaking heart attack_ in my own shower?” Nick begged exasperatedly.

“Your drinking. It’s my fault, isn’t it?” Ellie pushed on.

Nick averted his eyes the second she mentioned it— _well there’s her answer._

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ellie questioned, voice taking on a softer tone filled with worry.

Nick ducked back behind the curtain to turn off the running water. His hand peeked out to grab his towel before he opened the curtain the remainder of the way.

Ellie sucked in a breath at the image of Nick Torres dripping wet with nothing but a towel around his waist. She’d seen him shirtless, but this- this was what fantasies were made of.

Apparently, if her inhale didn’t give her away, her body did. Nick’s eyes shot to her chest as her desire was evident by the pebbling happening under her top. She hitched her crossed arms up in an attempt to cover her chest and tried to get back to the question he avoided. “Nick,” she paused waiting till he looked her in the eye again, “why didn’t you say something?” It was pleading and barely above a whisper, but she couldn’t help it.

Nick glanced up to the ceiling before settling back on her. He sighed, “You really want to know?”

“Yes,” she exhaled.

“I- I didn’t know how. I thought if I kept it to myself, I’d be okay. But clearly,” he raised his arms and let them fall to his sides, “clearly, I wasn’t.”

“Didn’t know how to say what, Nick?” Ellie probed.

Nick stepped out of the shower and closer to her until they were less than a foot apart. Her arms fell in response, and Nick took the opportunity to grasp her hands. “I didn’t know how to tell you I loved you.” Ellie gasped, but Nick continued, “Ziva told me to tell you how I feel, and I- I didn’t know how without screwing it up. And then I buried it and that obviously didn’t go well.” Nick shrugged at the end and looked away.

Ellie didn’t have words. She’d always hoped but... She stayed silent until Nick turned his head her way again.

“Nick...” it was but a whisper, “that’s all you had to say.”

And Ellie closed the last of the gap. Softly pressing her lips to his, she reveled in the feeling of his lips. Nick returned the kiss without hesitation, moving his hands to cup her face. Finally breaking for air, he touched his forehead to hers. Ellie used the opportunity to say the words she’d yearned to for months now, “I love you too, by the way.” Nick’s soft laugh was music to her ears— _she was finally home._


End file.
